This week, the MHPN blog entry is from member Patty Hoezee Meyer. Patty was the Felt Estate Restoration Project Manager, and is currently the Felt Estate Operations Director, as well as the owner of Pat Meyer Restoration LLC, Holland, Michigan.

Patty Hoezee Meyer

As someone happily accused of being a Pollyanna, I firmly believe that positive thinking yields positive results. Therefore, I propose ten reasons why losing State Tax Credits may be a good thing in the long run:

1. The “fight” over State Tax Credits brought much attention to preservation efforts in Michigan

2. We learned never to take any program for granted. What is given may be taken away — but also vice versa.

3. Those who were only doing historic preservation projects for the tax credits (and perhaps didn’t work as diligently to preserve the historic integrity of the structure or the history it tells) may look to other, more suitable projects

Felt Mansion, Before Restoration

4. We learned who “has our back.” It was interesting to see how some of the votes went ——- who stuck with the preservation community and why and who didn’t and why.

5. We strengthened our own cause by having to make our case.

6. We will work harder to insure that the good things happening are highlighted.

7. Worthwhile projects that didn’t (or couldn’t) make use of tax incentives still get attention.

8. New people joined the discussion and this broadened our base of support.

9. Many people who otherwise never heard of tax credits now know that these programs existed (and that the Federal program still exists), and should be re-instated in some form. This could spur future preservation projects.

10. We re-learned that we always have to make our case in terms of dollars and return on investment (ROI).